Anti-Semitism

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they intend to respond to the report of the all-party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism; if so, when and how they will do so.

Baroness Andrews: Her Majesty's Government will respond to the recommendations made by the all-party inquiry into anti-Semitism by the middle of November 2006 by writing to the chair of the inquiry, the right honourable Dr Denis MacShane.

Housing: Empty Dwellings

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many interim empty dwelling management orders have been made since the coming into effect of Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004; and by which local authorities they have been made.

Baroness Andrews: No interim empty dwelling management orders have been made since the coming into effect, on 6 April 2006, of Chapter 2 of Part 4 of the Housing Act 2004.

Housing: Licensing

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	With which local authorities they are inactive discussions, formal or informal, aboutsetting up areas for the selective licensing of landlords.

Baroness Andrews: The Department for Communities and Local Government has held discussions with the following local authorities with regards to setting up areas for the selective licensing of landlords: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council; Blackpool Borough Council; Burnley Borough Council; Hyndburn Borough Council; Leeds City Council; Manchester City Council; Middlesbrough Borough Council; Salford City Council; Pendle Borough Council; and Rossendale Borough Council.

Influenza Vaccine

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Answer by the Lord Warner on 11 October (Official Report, col. 257), whether, as he indicated, general practitioners negotiate individually with manufacturers of flu vaccines; and what is the range of charges made for flu vaccines by the manufacturers.

Lord Warner: General practitioners are responsible for purchasing flu vaccine for their patients direct from the supplier of their choice. For 2006-07, there are six suppliers of flu vaccine to the United Kingdom.
	The list price for seasonal influenza vaccine varies between suppliers. For 2006-07, the average list price is £5.70—ranging from £4.40 to £6.59. GPs can negotiate a discount with their supplier as part of the contract they enter with them. As I indicated on11 October, how much doctors pay for the vaccine is a matter between them and the manufacturers.
	I have written to Lord Forsyth and Baroness Sharples giving this extra information and a copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.

Junk Mail

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why a limit was originally established on the number of pieces of junk mail that a household could receive per week.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: A limit on the number of unaddressed items Royal Mail delivered per week to each household was established as part of an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU). The limit was established to allow for a better understanding of the market and its impact on working practices.

Queen's Counsel

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	During the assessment of applicants for appointment as Queen's Counsel in 2006, what criteria were used to select successful applicants; what account was taken of issues such as gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation; and when they will respond to correspondence addressed to the Lord Chancellor from the Lord Alton of Liverpool about the selection of this year's applicants.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Applicants for the rank of Queen's Counsel were assessed against a detailed competency framework covering integrity, understanding and using the law, analysing case material, persuading, responding to the unfolding case, working with the client, and working within a team. This system was designed to focus recommendations for QC purely on applicants' ability. The selection panel was careful to exclude other factors, including gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. In making my recommendations to Her Majesty, I was confident that the process was a fair one and had been operated correctly. I replied to the noble Lord's letter on 21 October 2006.

Railways: Central Trains Sunday Services

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	For each four-week control period in the past year, what proportion of Central Trains Sunday services were operated.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The information requested is not held by the Department for Transport. Train running data for the network as a whole are collected and processed by Network Rail and individual operators will normally maintain records which relate to their own operations.

Railways: Community Railways

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 17 October (HL7566), which specific developments on community railways have been (a) proposed, and (b) funded.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There are currently more than 50 community rail partnerships in England and Wales. A wide range of initiatives has been taken on the lines which they support, ranging from new uses for station buildings to improved fare and ticketing structures. Schemes currently under consideration on community rail lines include a passing loop to enable an improved pattern of services on the Abbey Line and the use of station buildings at Sandown on the Island Line for community services. A prime aim of the community rail strategy is to reduce the need for financial support from central government. For that reason, individual developments do not generally depend on specific government funding. Most are self-financing, locally funded or funded through mechanisms such as the local transport plan.

Regional Development: Northern Way

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the current status of the Northern Way; and whether the project still forms a strategic part of their development plans in the north of England.

Baroness Andrews: The Northern Way is a pan-regional growth strategy being taken forward by the three northern regional development agencies and their partners. It is a long-term strategy and its vision is to close the north's £30 billion productivity gap with the rest of the UK by 2029. It will materially contribute to achieving the Government's regional economic performance public service agreement target.
	The Government welcome the progress and achievements made and will continue strongly to support the Northern Way.

Regional Development: Northern Way

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which government department is now responsible for the Northern Way.

Baroness Andrews: The Department for Communities and Local Government co-ordinates the Government's involvement with the Northern Way. HMT and DTI are also closely involved as co-owners of the Government's regional economic performance public service agreement target.

Regional Development: Northern Way

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total amount spent on the Northern Way project in (a) 2004-05, and (b) 2005-06; what is the total budget for the Northern Way in 2006-07; and what is the source of these funds.

Baroness Andrews: The Northern Way is a pan-regional growth strategy being taken forward by the three northern regional development agencies and their partners.
	A £100 million Northern Way growth fund (match funded 50:50 by the three regional development agencies and the Department for Communities and Local Government) was established in 2005-06 to kick-start the strategy. The Northern Way business plan for 2005-08 (published in June 2005) sets out how the Northern Way will spend the growth fund, providing a work programme for each of their investment priorities. The Northern Way's annual report (published in August 2006) includes a breakdown of money that has been spent to date and its budget for 2006-07.

Regional Development: Northern Way

Lord Greaves: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people were employed by or seconded to the Northern Way project on (a) 1 April 2004;(b) 1 April 2005; and (c) 1 April 2006; how many people are currently employed or seconded; and how many people have been or are about to be made redundant.

Baroness Andrews: The Northern Way is a pan-regional growth strategy being taken forward by the three northern regional development agencies and their partners. Operational arrangements for the functioning of the Northern Way, including staffing, are a matter for the northern RDAs and the chair of the Northern Way Steering Group.

Retirement Age

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in the light of their decision to defer any decision on removing the default retirement age until 2011, it will be unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees wishing to retire beyond 65; and
	What criteria and evidence will be used to determine whether to remove or retain the default retirement age.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: We will monitor the default retirement age over the next five years and will review its effectiveness in 2011. Among other things, the review will look at the extent to which employees' new right to request working beyond retirement age has created a change in culture which sees far less reliance on the old-style cut-off for retirement. We will gather evidence from a number of sources including a follow-up of the baseline survey that we published on 9 March for assessing the impact of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. We will consider what further evidence may be necessary as we draw closer to 2011. If the accumulated evidence shows the default retirement age is no longer necessary, we will remove it.

Social Care

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the financial situation of local authorities in the delivery of adult social care.

Lord Warner: Local authority funding for social services is derived from a variety of sources both from within central government and also determined locally. It is for individual local authorities to manage and direct their own resources in accordance with local priorities and the needs of the communities to which they are accountable.
	As part of the local government finance settlement 2006-07, the Department of Health will make available £1,590 million of specific revenue grant funding, and £48 million of capital grants for adult social services to fund any cost pressures councils may face in delivering their adult social care commitments.
	Over the three years to 2007-08, the spending review 2004 provides an increase in funding of nearly £2 billion, taking total net adult personal social services resources to £12.5 billion.
	Resource allocations for financial years 2008-09to 2010-11 will be determined by the spendingreview 2007.

Taxation: Tax Reform Committee

Lord Naseby: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether public servants in HM Treasury were asked by the Chief Secretary of the Treasury to work during the night to assess the alleged political impact and cost of the report of the Tax Reform Committee; and, if so, why they were asked to do so.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: No Treasury Minister made such a request to officials.

Vehicles: End-of-Life Directive

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether regulations laid or to be laid under the vehicles (end-of-life) directive will take into account fully the needs of the vehicle recovery industry; and
	Whether the Environment Agency is seeking assistance from the recovery industry trade associations before implementing the vehicles (end-of-life) directive.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government have already implemented the End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC) through the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2635) and the End-of-Life Vehicles (Producer Responsibility) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005/263). Defra has responsibility for Part VII of the 2003 regulations, on the keeping, treatment and recycling of waste motor vehicles. These provisions are enforced by the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales.
	The motor vehicle recovery industry was consulted on both sets of regulations.

Waste Management: Textiles

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the total tonnage of textiles that became waste in each of the past five years; and what percentage of that waste was recycled.

Lord Rooker: An as yet unpublished study, which has just been completed on behalf of Defra, estimates textile waste in the UK at 1.1 million tonnes in 2003. This has increased and is thought to be increasing further as sales of new clothing rise. An additional estimated 303,000 tonnes of textiles were collected by the secondary textiles industry (including charity shops) for reuse and recycling. Of this, an estimated 262,000 tonnes (14 per cent) of consumption were diverted from the UK waste stream in 2003. As part of its ongoing work on the review of the waste strategy, Defra is considering how to increase this figure.
	Estimates for the past five years for which data are available on textile tonnages collected for recycling from household sources in England are listed below. A large proportion of textile reuse and recycling by households is made directly to jumble sales and charity shops and, therefore, would not be recorded in these local authority results.
	
		
			 Year Tonnages collected for recycling from household sources in England 
			 1999-00 39,000 
			 2000-01 41,000 
			 2001-02 42,000 
			 2002-03 54,000 
			 2003-04 58,000

Water Management: S&T Report

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to paragraph 8.7 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191—I), whether the statutory guidance to the Environment Agency is in the public domain.

Lord Rooker: The guidance referred to is in a document entitledThe Environment Agency's Objectives and Contribution to Sustainable Development: Statutory Guidance. The document is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ea/sustain/index.htm.

Water Management: S&T Report

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to paragraph 8.13 of their response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee report, Water Management (8th Report, HL Paper 191—I), whether the Department for Work and Pensions third party deduction scheme results in the very poor paying for their water usage while those in the economic tier above do not pay their water bills.

Lord Rooker: No. All water customers, whether on benefit or not, are liable to pay their bills, and the overwhelming majority do so.
	Water costs are one item provided for within the third party deductions scheme operated by the Department for Work and Pensions. This is a long-standing last-resort safety net for a minority of vulnerable people on certain benefits who have arrears of bills. An amount can be deducted from weekly benefit and paid directly to the water company or other creditor. Evidence from research shows that customers find the scheme helpful. This help is rightly targeted at people currently receiving benefit.

Water Supply

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the remarks by the Lord Rooker on 13 October (Official Report, col. 519), howthe pilot study in the south-west will assist in the payment of water bills if there is no change to the position where water can be supplied only on a limited basis to those who refuse to pay their bill.

Lord Rooker: The south-west pilot study is looking at how benefit entitlement checks, switching to meters and water efficiency measures could help low income households with their water bills. There are no plans to change the legislation prohibiting the disconnection or limiting of water supplies of customers for non-payment of bills.

Water Supply: London and the South-east

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their strategy for ensuring the provision of a sufficient supply of water to meet the needs of people living in London and the south-east during the next decade.

Lord Rooker: All water companies have water resource management plans, complementing the Environment Agency's national and regional strategies, which look ahead 25 years, and include projections of current and future demands for water. These plans are regularly updated to account for factors such as projections of household numbers and occupancy rates and the implications of climate change. Water companies' water resource management plans are currently produced voluntarily but will become statutory under provisions in the Water Act 2003.